What defines a 'shot' fighter to you?

[TOBYLEE1]

Reflexes are deminished, can't pull the trigger anymore, can't assimilate punishement and are easily hurt. Body breaks down of so many years of intense training and punishment.

Some fighters just mentally can't compete at the level and are not confident any more.

Some fighters reach that point quicker than others.

But at times there is one good fight left in an over the hill fighter

[AllEyesOpen]

For me, what makes me say when a fighter might be or is shot, is when they can't do what defined them as great fighters anymore. When DLH said he just couldn't pull the trigger on his jab against Mayweather, i knew he was done.

When I saw how hesitant Mosley was in throwing the right hand against Mora, I suspected he might be shot as well.

[Money Shot]

Some guys just have a few years at peak or when they are competitive. You need to be disciplined to retain condition levels the older you get. Hatton, for example, has no discipline and that is why he is shot.

[nomadman]

There isn't any one single criterion for being shot. Generally it's a combination of things, which taken together mean the fighter in question can no longer perform at the level he once did. He may still win fights of course, but the things which defined him as great (assuming he was great in the first place) are either absent or diminshed. For instance, a fighter once renowned for his slick head movement and ability to dodge punches might start to get touched up more by punches that he would easily avoid in his prime years. Or a fighter known as a tough, come forward brawler no longer seems to have the fire or killer instinct to really lay it on guys.

Of course the reasons for this are different in every case. Simple ageing might be a factor, which would generally result in slowed reactions, heavier legs or a greater detrimental toll on the body when making weight, along with a host of other problems unique to the fighter in question. Too many wars could adversely affect the fighter's brain, psychologically, neurologically or both. A string of bad KO losses or similarly shocking events might shatter the fighter's confidence in himself, and if this is the crux of his success then it would generally have a pretty big effect on the fighter's performances in the future leading to further complication down the line. Like I said, it could be any one of these things or more, depending on what made the fighter great in the first place, and its effects can sometimes be very subtle.

But I think one thing common to all the above is that in all cases it's an irreversible condition. A fighter can't become "unshot" any more than a fighter can reverse the aging process. That's why it's important to have a good sample of recent performances stretching out at least over a couple of years before making the judgement on whether or not the fighter is truly shot. Some fighters might temporarily lose their confidence after a bad loss and require it to be built up slowly to reach the level they once were at. Others might simply have fundamental flaws in their style exposed and require going back to the drawing board. These people aren't shot, they've simply hit a rooadblock in their careers which requires navigating around. A shot fighter on the other hand hasn't just reached a roadblock, they've come to the end of the road, and all that's left in front of them is a gaping chasm yawning into blackness.

I can't speak for anyone else, but I can generally recognise a shot fighter by an instinctive feeling of sympathy whilst watching them, along with a sadness in the knowledge that the fighter I once loved to watch will never again be the man he once was, will never again put on the kind of performance that once had me jumping out of my seat or screaming at the TV, will never regain what is now clearly gone forever. And I usually realise that I've been subconsciously feeling this way for a long time. Recognising a shot fighter is as much letting go of your hopes and expectations as it is anything else.

[SplitSecond]

one loss = past prime

[nomadman]

one loss = past prime

That as well.

[Jim Jeffries]

Struggling to beat or losing to someone they would've completely outclassed in their prime. Though I like It's Ovah's definition a bit better.

[Pessimistic]

A 'prime Ali' getting chopped down with his big mouth by Larry Holmes. One of the best one-sided beatings I ever had the pleasure of witnessing. Three words for ali 'ha ha ha.' Let's see you dance now ****sucker while you get your diapers changed!

[Eastbay Giant]

Here you go...

Watch what happens this Saturday to this guy, then you'll have your answer.

[SCtrojansbaby]

When you take beating(doesn't necessarily have to be a loss) and never get another significant win.